The Imaging of an Organization

About the Book

Walter Walpole overcame adversity to go on to the founding of a worldwide enterprise known for its service, innovative products, and manufacturing excellence: Walbro Corporation. At age ten Walpole was turned out of his home by his father and step-mother to be shuttled between his married sisters and brothers. At age fourteen he quit school and took a full time job in order to pay for his room and board. When he was twenty Principia College in St. Louis, Missouri took a chance on him and admitted him, even though he lacked a high school diploma. Walpoles Principia experience helped mold his values and introduced him to the beautiful woman he married four years later, Elizabeth Holly. By the time of his marriage Walpole had a good job with Borg Warner, working out of its Chicago offices. He applied himself and was awarded with steady promotion. In 1932 he was assigned to Borg Warners Marvel Schebler Carburetor division in Flint, Michigan as its Treasurer and Secretary. By 1949 with the death of Marvels president Walpole expected to promoted to the top position. He had been de facto manager since the former presidents death earlier in the year. To his great disappointment, Walpole was passed over. Instead, an officer from Borg Warners Chicago headquarters was given the position.

Borg Warners decision was a catalyst that led Walpole to leave Borg Warner and form his own company in competition with his former employer. Walpole organized his new company in 1950 and named it Walbro Corporation. In forming the company he envisioned a service oriented company dedicated to supplying non-automotive engine manufacturers affordable carburetors designed and manufactured to exacting standards. Walpole saw a burgeoning market for small engine carburetors. America was rapidly becoming a nation of middle class homeowners with lawns to mow, gardens to till, and boats to operate. To execute his vision, Walpole new company needed to develop a carburetor and sell it to one of the few small engine manufacturers that then were in business: Briggs & Stratton, Reo, Clinton Engines, Lauson, Kohler, and Chrysler Outboard. Since Briggs manufactured all of its own carburetors it was not a realistic target. Instead, Walpole focused on Reo and Clinton.

Walpole attracted a young carburetor engineer, Bill Eberline, away from Marvel and assigned to him the task of developing the new carburetor. Without the scientific equipment normally available to a carburetor engineer, Eberline designed a carburetor aimed at a Reo application. Eberline was ingenious and innovative. His LMG model carburetor worked well and could be sold for a very competitive price. The engineering department at Reo, located in Lansing, Michigan, approved the carburetor and assured Walpole and Eberline that Reos purchasing department would give Walbro an order for it. The purchasing department thought otherwise, however. It concluded that a purchase of production carburetors from Walbro was too risky. Its current source of carburetors worked well and, even though its price was substantially less, Walbro had no production facilities, no staff, no systems, no experience, and no working capital. Eberline remembered the meeting with Reos purchasing department as a nasty experience. They threw me out on my ear.

The Reo rejection was the low point in Walpoles business career. But his wife, Elizabeth refused to allow him to despair. She pulled him through with love and encouragement. She comforted him, held him, and spoke lovingly to him. She kept a quiet faith that a solution would unfold. As was their habit they sought inspiration from the Holy Scripture. Elizabeth was not surprised when a telephone call came from Clinton Engine Company.

Walbro had some carburetors on test with Clinton and when it began experiencing problems with its production engines, its director of research and engineering inquired of Walbro whether it would provide carburetor engineering services t

About the Author

Forrest Walpole is an attorney. He received an A.B. degree from Princeton University in 1963, a JD degree from the University of Michigan Law School in 1966, and a Masters degree from Georgetown University Law Center in 1970. He is Walter Walpole’s son. He lives in Colorado with his wife.